Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Phoenix VA , where dozens of veterans died waiting for care and were placed on secret wait lists , was in total `` chaos '' with patients needing urgent care and often unable to get it , officials from the VA 's Inspector General 's Office testified at a Senate hearing Tuesday .

What 's more , these officials said some 3,526 patients at the Phoenix VA still `` may be at risk '' for receiving poor urologic care , according to an ongoing investigation by the IG 's office .

The problems of very long wait lists for veterans and serious scheduling issues go well beyond Phoenix and exist in many VA facilities , Inspector General Richard Griffin and members of his staff told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee .

Nearly 70 VA hospitals or clinics have `` knowingly and willingly '' altered or manipulated their wait lists and schedules to obscure problems , testified Dr. John D. Daigh Jr. , assistant inspector general for health care inspections .

Tuesday 's testimony confirmed investigations , reported throughout the past year by CNN , that focused on delays and deaths across the VA system .

In May , following reports of patients dying while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA , VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was forced to step down . Robert McDonald was appointed this summer to helm the agency .

Despite increased oversight , hundreds of thousands of veterans may still remain on wait lists , according to Tuesday 's testimony .

' I am committed to fixing this problem '

The VA system might need as many as 28,000 doctors and other medical staff to help fix the problems and provide proper and timely care to veterans , said McDonald , who also testified .

`` I am committed to fixing this problem and providing timely , high-quality care that veterans have earned and that they desire , '' McDonald said . `` That 's how we regain veterans trust , and that 's how we regain your trust and the trust of the American people . ''

Tuesday 's hearing was prompted by an IG report released late last month , examining the situation in Phoenix and also across the VA system .

That report found 28 veterans who suffered `` clinically significant delays in care associated with access to care or patient scheduling . '' And of those 28 patients , six died . In addition the report found 17 other `` care deficiencies that were unrelated to access or scheduling , '' and of those 17 patients , 14 died .

The IG report at the heart of the hearing described what Sen. Bernie Sanders , the Vermont independent who is chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs , called `` inexcusable '' practices in Phoenix .

The report reviewed the cases of more than 3,400 patients and found 28 instances of clinically significant delays in care associated with access or scheduling . Of the 28 , six were deceased . An additional 17 cases identified in the report were not related to access issues . A follow-up report specifically focusing on the hospital system 's urology department is underway .

` Disappointment , frustration and loss of faith '

`` This report can not capture the personal disappointment , frustration and loss of faith individual veterans and their family members had in the health care system that often could not respond to their mental and physical health needs in a timely manner , '' said Griffin . `` Immediate and substantive changes are needed . ''

`` I said at the time of my confirmation hearing that I will put veterans at the center of everything we do at VA , '' said McDonald . `` So let me begin by offering my personal apologies to all veterans who experienced unacceptable delays in receiving care . It 's clear that we failed in that respect . ''

Griffin estimated that only one-fourth of 93 facilities were not engaging in scheduling manipulation .

`` The bad news is that on the other three-fourths , we 're pretty confident that it was knowingly and willingly happening , '' Griffin said . `` And we 're pursuing those . ''

The effects of the widespread wait list manipulation is still being felt .

Navy veteran loses his nose waiting for treatment

McDonald said that as of August 15 , the Veterans Health Administration had contacted more than 294,000 veterans and had decreased the electronic wait list nationwide by 57 % .

McDonald also noted in his testimony that lack of staff was a crucial problem . Internal data indicated a need for 28,000 new staff members , including doctors and other clinicians . A new recruiting push by the VA was underway , McDonald said .

`` We are trying to demonstrate to young people studying in the medical profession that VA 's where they want to work , '' McDonald said .

Question : Is the report independent ?

Griffin faced questions about the independence of the report .

Sen. Dean Heller , R-New Hampshire , implored Griffin about the report 's findings and whether the VA had edited it .

His questioning hinged on a line in the report that indicated that the delays in care could not be conclusively linked to the deaths . Heller asked whether that line was included in the draft of the report submitted for review to the VA. .

`` It was reported that a line was inserted , '' Heller said . `` And if you 're the VA , this is the line you want inserted in that report . ''

`` There are many versions of a draft report , '' Griffin replied . `` The majority of the changes in our draft report came about as result of further deliberations by the senior staff of the Inspector General 's Office . No one in VA dictated that sentence go in that report . ''

Scathing report slams veterans ' care but says no definite link to deaths

Griffin explained that he hoped to have the results of the 93 additional site reviews completed by the end of the year .

McDonald testified to numerous efforts underway across the VA system to decrease wait times and provide veterans faster , needed medical care .

He told the senators there is a new push to have many changes made before Veterans Day in November .

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Officials from the Inspector General 's Office testify at a Senate hearing

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Thousands of patients `` may be at risk '' for receiving poor urologic care , they testify

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Inspector general : `` Immediate and substantive changes are needed ''

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He estimates only one-fourth of 93 facilities were not manipulating schedules